


Fallen Down [Archived]

by the_fox333



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Developing Alphyne, Gen, Robot Napstablook, Suicidal Alphys, no actual suicide
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-30
Updated: 2016-11-27
Packaged: 2018-07-11 07:13:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 13,259
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7035313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_fox333/pseuds/the_fox333
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>NOTE: I'll be honest; this is effectively abandoned. Maybe someday I'll have the drive and inspiration to come back and rewrite it better, but no promises. :(</p><p>After a formerly pacifistic Frisk kills Mettaton, Alphys attempts suicide via waterfall and winds up in an even deeper part of the Underground, where she meets plenty of old friends and plenty of new ones, as well.</p><p>Rated T because of the whole attempted suicide thing. If the Alphyne gets serious, I'll tag it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Woo! Finally, something that's not original fiction! I hope this'll be well-received. (Because it has a fandom, it'll probably get more kudos than all my other works combined, tbh.)

Alphys dashed through the Core, frantically trying to remember the sequence of rooms she had set up. She screamed at herself internally for being so naive. She had trusted the human, even started to consider them a friend, and because of that... Because of that, Mettaton was dead.

Reaching the elevator, she punched in her 27-digit key sequence, claws flying. As the car lurched and started downwards, she collapsed against the railing as the full shock hit her. Mettaton was dead. He was never coming back. He had died, and it was all her fault.

The elevator dinged, and Alphys half-fell out onto the wet stone. The low roar of the waterfall nearly masked the secret panel sliding shut behind her. All around her, garbage was piled almost to the ceiling.  The flow carried endless trash into the unknown depths. She used to come here often, staring for hours into the abyss. Now, she would finally figure out what was down there. Smiling cynically, she muttered, "For science," and edged closer to the endless drop.

She heard footsteps in the distance. Most likely the others, looking for her. Well, she wouldn't be swayed. She was a failure, and nothing anyone said could change that. With a deep breath, she took a running start and leapt forward.

In the fraction of a second before her foot left the platform, her entire life flashed before her eyes. Growing up with Bratty and Catty, working with Sans and Gaster, meeting Undyne, building Mettaton, becoming Royal Scientist, the Determination experiments- reason enough alone to be here- discovering the human, guiding them through Hotland. All of it appeared and vanished within the time it took to blink. And then she was falling, falling, falling.

Suddenly, she saw Undyne's face over the edge. She was throwing out her hand in despair, a terrified look on her face. Alphys could barely make out her words.

"Alphys!" she was shouting. "Alphys, no! Don't do this to me! Alphys!"

Suddenly, Alphys realized what she had done. Even if she didn't think she was worth anything, she had friends who did. And she had just removed herself not only from her life, but theirs, as well. "Undyne!" she called desperately, but to no avail. Just before she fell out of sight, she glimpsed a telltale flash of blue. As the spear rocketed past her, she grabbed it and hung on as if her life- no, her friends' lives depended on it.

And then there was only black.


	2. A Whole New World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alphys finally figures out where the waterfall goes.

Falling is very, very boring.

Once Alphys got over the initial shock, she plunged through the darkness in silence. Her head was a whirlpool of thoughts and emotions. Clinging to Undyne's spear, she tumbled into the void, with no sense of what was up or down. Even the fall into the Underground couldn't take this long, she thought. Silently, she mourned Mettaton, mourned her old life- mourned her life. Surely she couldn't survive this fall; it wasn't possible. Hitting even a lake at this velocity would be instantly lethal- she quickly abandoned that avenue of thought.

After several minutes of endless darkness, Alphys was getting tired of silence. "Hello?" she called into the black. Her voice echoed back faintly, the only response. "Well," she said aloud, "if I'm here, I may as well do something with my time." Frowning, she tried to think of anything she could ask forgiveness for. Obviously the Determination experiments- she winced at the thought. Lying to Undyne, lying to Asgore, lying to everyone. Failing to protect Mettaton. Helping the human. She was sure there were more; she must have had more reasons for coming here in the first place.

By the dim light given off by the spear, Alphys glimpsed something as she hurtled by. A face? A painting? She wasn't sure, but it unsettled her.

Abruptly, Alphys was falling through empty air, in a massive cavern that looked big enough to fit the entire underground. Below her sprawled a landscape to rival the diversity of the surface: mountains, rivers, forests, and countless other landforms. If she hadn't been plummeting towards it at terminal velocity, she would have been amazed. But she was, in fact, plummeting towards it at terminal velocity.

Alphys screamed as the ground rushed towards her. Suddenly, she stopped. Confused, she stared at the ground ten feet below her. She certainly wasn't doing this, so who or what was? With a yelp, she dropped the rest of the way to the forest floor. She was surrounded by evergreens forming a thick curtain around the convenient clearing she had landed in.

Knees trembling, Alphys climbed to her feet, supporting herself on the spear. Looking around, she saw no signs of habitation anywhere. Closing her eyes, she spun around shakily and pointed in a random direction. She was about to start walking when she heard a sharp crack behind her. She froze, her pulse racing. Who knew what was in these woods? There could be bears, or giant carnivorous frogs, or-

"Hey!" said the human.

Alphys shrieked and jumped back. Regaining some of her composure, she stuttered, "Wh-who are you?"

"My name is Neil," the human said. "Who are you? nobody has fallen down here in years."

"I'm Alphys," she said nervously. "I'm- was- Royal Scientist. N-nice to meet you, Neil."

"Nice to meet you, too, Alphys," Neil said. "Well, come with me. I'll take you to the Hall of the Fallen." He strode off confidently into the forest. Alphys ran to catch up.

After a short hike, they arrived at a large building made of what looked like spruce wood. The supporting pillars had been carved into ornate faces, both human and monster. On the door was a large seal that reminded Alphys of the Delta Rune; it was a winged shield with a triforce containing the letters UD emblazoned on it. Pushing open the doors, Neil revealed the interior, a sparsely decorated hall that resembled the Last Hallway in New Home. Large windows let in plenty of light, and a mesmerizing tile pattern of interlocking humans and monsters covered the floor. He strode to the other end of the room and picked up a large mallet. Winding up, he swung it against a brass gong, producing an echoing sound that rolled through the Hall and out the door into the crisp air. Moments later, humans and monsters began to trickle into the Hall, filling in the space between the columns. When the last few stragglers took their places, the doors were shut and a large bar swung down to lock them.

Realizing everyone was staring at her, Alphys shifted nervously, her face growing red. After a moment, an older monster, like Aaron but less muscular, walked up to her. He reached out a hand to her and asked, "Above-lander, what is your name?"

"I-I'm Alphys," she stammered. "Nice to-"

"Alphys, who were you before you fell?" the monster continued, seemingly unaware he had interrupted her.

"I was R-royal Scientist for King Asgore Dreemur," Alphys replied.

"And who are you now?"

This last question caught Alphys off-guard. Who was she now? How was she supposed to know that? What did he even mean by that? She glanced around the crowd, hoping to get a hint. Everyone was watching her intently, showing no signs of impatience. "I'm- I'm-" Who did she want to be seen as here? This was her chance to start anew, to atone for her sins. "I am a-" She had been a scientist before, but not here. She was at a complete loss for words. "I don't know who I am now," she confessed shamefacedly.

The old monster smiled. "Good," he said. "It is good that you admitted this quickly. Alphys, we welcome you to the Underdepths."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now things can really get started. I don't have a definite vision in mind for how things should go, so if you have any suggestions, feel free to throw 'em out there.


	3. Gaster Blaster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Guess who's back? Back again?

As the old monster stepped back, the others began to rise, and a dull murmur broke out. Without warning, the ceiling and walls began to flicker and change. Everyone looked around worriedly, frowning.

"This isn't supposed to happen yet," Neil muttered. In a flash, the hologram dissipated altogether, revealing a doorway in the far wall behind the gong. As the doorway filled with cliché smoke, a shadowed figure taller than any other monster or human in the room stepped forth. Seven objects floated around him in an arch, each glowing a different color. Alphys's eyes widened. It couldn't be. It wasn't possible. She had been there; nobody in the room could possibly have survived the explosion.

The light blue hand waved, and the fog was blasted outwards from the figure, ruffling everyone's hair, feathers, and other ruffle-able objects. Alphys's jaw dropped open.

"Alphys!" called Gaster. "I thought I might never see you again!"

"G-g-gaster!" Alphys stammered. "I th-thought you were d-dead!"

"Well, so did everyone else," Gaster shrugged. "I wish it could have been differently, but nobody saw that accident coming."

"Wha- how did you survive the explosion? I saw that experiment, and-"

"And you assumed that it was lethal, because I appeared to have died. In fact, I was just shaken up a bit and dropped down here." Gaster chuckled at Alphys's expression. "Close your mouth; you look like Shyren before she got over her stage fright."

"Bu- Wha- It- I- He- You- Sans- A-" she stammered. She slumped against her spear, reeling with shock.

"Gaster, sir?" Neil piped up meekly. "I don't mean to interrupt, but why the breach of protocol? New arrivals are supposed to be here for a month before-"

"Yes, Neil, I know the protocols," Gaster sighed. "I did this because Alphys was a very close friend-" Alphys blushed- "and I need a new lab partner, anyways."

"Gaster, sir, we aren't supposed to make decisions based off our past lives. It one of our oldest tra-"

"I know your traditions, Neil. But look at that spear Alphys is holding. Do you know what that means?"

Neil studied Undyne's spear for a moment, finally admitting, "No, sir".

"That spear, Neil, belongs to Undyne, Captain of the Royal Guard. Normally, Undyne's spears disappear when they get too far from her to avoid clutter and misuse. Only by actively concentrating can she maintain her spears more than about a hundred feet away. We've all experienced The Fall, and I think we can agree it's much farther than a hundred feet, correct?" Neil nodded unsurely. "To keep that spear there from vanishing, Undyne would be nearly bursting at the seams. I doubt she could create more than three or four more while this one remains. The fact that it does tells us that Undyne, or at least someone from the Guard, is actively seeking out Alphys. And what THAT means is that change is coming to the Underdepths, and fast. Your 'tradition' may not be good for much anymore, Neil."

Alphys stared at the spear, rolling it uncertainly in her hands. She hadn't known any of that. If it was costing Undyne that much effort, was it really worth keeping...? "Of course it is," Alphys told herself sternly. "If I break this, Undyne will probably think I'm actually dead. And then-" Alphys shivered at the thought.

"Well, Alphys?" Gaster broke in. "What do you say? Lab partners once again?"

"I-I'd love to, sir!" Alphys sputtered. A chance to work with Gaster again! The man was a genius, and Alphys had always respected, admired, and looked up to him. She had thought him dead decades ago, and here he was again, offering to work with her! Her! She pinched herself lightly, just to be sure she wasn't dreaming.

Gaster nodded with satisfaction. "Excellent," he smiled. "But on one condition- never call me 'sir' again. The Fall cured me of any past standing I may have had, and while I may hold a place of honor here, that's no excuse. Neil just does it because of his traditions, and if you ask me, Neil keeps to tradition rather too closely." He straightened, the floating hands glowing a little brighter. "Well, time to see your new lab, Alphys. We have a lot to do, and not much time to do it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From here on out, my vision- and thus my schedule- gets more erratic. I have some good ideas for towards the end, but I'm not sure how to fill the space between here and there. If there's any part of the Underdepths you want to know more about, throw me a comment, and I'll probably work it into Gaster's explanation. Until then, I'll see what I can get done and when I can do it. Au revoir!


	4. Build It Better

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alphys and Gaster get to work on their first big project.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This'll be kinda short, but I'm getting right to work on a longer one that will hopefully answer any questions you may have.
> 
> EDIT: Here begins a tangent that lasts through Chapter 8 in which I don't do much to advance the plot. Sorry about that, but it's the only way I could get myself to keep writing this. :/

As Alphys and Gaster stepped through the doorway in the Hall of the Fallen, it slid shut silently, leaving them in a polished white room with tables lining the walls. Beakers, bottles, books, and other scientific devices starting with the letter "B" (and many not) covered most of them, all squared away with military-like precision. Gaster frowned at an uneven stack of books, and with a wave of his light blue hand, it righted itself. "Welcome to- but I suppose you've heard that quite enough today," he began. "Let's try again- This is the lab. I believe you'll find everything we'll need for this first experiment on table 7." It was just like Gaster to jump right into things with no explanation.

"Um... What are we doing, s- Gaster?" Alphys asked tentatively, picking up a few items from the table; springs, gears, metal plates, and- was that a satellite dish?

"Oh, yes. You see, when I heard you had taken The Fall, I realized we needed a way to communicate with the Underground. I wasn't sure how I could manage that, until I remembered that robot you built- Mettaton, was it? Yes, well, I figured that since he was really just a ghost in a metal body, I could lock onto his ethereal resonance and pull him into another one, so to speak. Our job today is to build that secondary body."

Alphys couldn't help herself. "G-Gaster..." she stammered. "Th-the thing is- Mettaton is- he's- d-dead. The h-human killed him."

Gaster turned to her, inspecting her like he wanted to be sure she was serious. "Alphys," he began, placing one of his normal hands on her shoulder. "Did this human break Mettaton's soul?"

Alphys frowned. Had they? She hadn't seen it, but from what she gathered from the fans' status updates on Undernet, Mettaton had just exploded. "I... don't know," she finally said.

"Well," Gaster exclaimed, straightening up, "there's one way to find out. We assume Mettaton's soul wasn't destroyed and build this anyway. I believe you still remember the design of his old body?"

Alphys nodded, remembering hours spent tirelessly adjusting it, making sure it was perfect, and trying to keep her face from getting too red. "Great!" Gaster beamed. "Let's draft up some blueprints and get to work!"

 

Several grueling hours later, Alphys and Gaster had finished the final draft of Mettaton's new body- Mettaton 2.0, as Gaster had dubbed it. The design was mostly the same, with a few modifications to accommodate for Gaster's device- a receiver on a shoulder here, an extra circuit board here. Probably the most noticeable change was the color. Rather than Mettaton's old pink, Gaster had recommended dark blue, which was something of an official color in the Underdepths. Alphys had agreed, thinking Mettaton probably wouldn't mind. He was always asking Alphys to make cosmetic changes to his design, seemingly never satisfied with his look. To accommodate, Alphys had made 90% of the parts interchangeable; the only fixed sections were the soul canister and the internal wiring.

"That looks good for a day's work," Gaster sighed, his green and orange hands working the kinks out of his back. "Why don't I show you to your rooms? You'll have to stay in the Fallens' Quarters, if it's all right with you. If we break tradition one more time, the Council of Elders will have our heads." He chuckled to himself as he rolled up the plans and placed them neatly on the neighboring table, in perfect alignment with the the edges. Gaster always was something of a perfectionist.

"That sounds good," Alphys nodded, picking up the spear from where she had set it on the floor. "I'm fine with whatever I can get."

"The Fallens' Quarters are rather nice, actually," Gaster smiled. "I remember my years there well. Like all the Fallen- present company excepted, of course- I had no idea what an advanced society this was. I've made my fair share of contributions, to be sure, but they have some very interesting concepts. Do you know all this power comes from huge wheels that harness the water from the river down here? Fascinating." Breaking out of his reverie, Gaster tucked away the last of the papers and beckoned Alphys. "Let's take the conventional route, shall we? The walk isn't very long, and it'll give you a chance to see more of the world down here. The Fall gives you a good idea of the general terrain, but terror isn't the best aid to concentration." Alphys smiled tentatively, following the tall skeleton out of the doorway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You really think I could kill off Mettaton? Because I can. You'll just have to wait and see whether or not I do. Nyeh heh heh.


	5. Culture Shock

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gaster tells Alphys more about the Underdepths, and Operation: Robot takes a big step- but is it really forward?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man, I knew this would be long, but I didn't know just how long. This took me a solid hour. Enjoy (that's an order)!

Gaster guided Alphys past the few monsters and humans in the Hall of the Fallen, now revealed for the sleek white room it was. As they exited, Alphys turned and looked back. The exterior still looked wooden and rustic; she supposed they couldn't easily mask it on the outside, too, and the rustic feel was nice, besides. Their feet crunched through the snow as they trekked down the path, well-marked by those leaving today's ceremony. After a few minutes, the trees dropped away, and they were crossing a massive metal bridge. The scale amazed Alphys; it had to be at least a quarter mile long. She looked down and shivered. If the bridge was long, the canyon beneath was deeper. It reminded her of falling from the cavern ceiling. Actually, could there be yet another area down there? She made a mental note to ask later.

On the other side of the bridge, the landscape changed dramatically. In sharp contrast with the snow and evergreens of the Hall, this felt almost tropical, with lots of sand and strange trees with tall trunks and ferns for leaves. A large complex of low, flat buildings sprawled across the sands, stretching for several hundred feet in each direction. Gaster lead her to a building about halfway into the sprawl, opening the door and ushering her in. It was a 5-room house, with a living room, a kitchen, a bathroom, and two bedrooms. The furnishings were rustic, and the appliances looked crude, but Alphys supposed that was to preserve the illusion of simplicity (she wasn't sure why).

"Fallens' Quarters are usually inhabited by two people, but unless someone else falls soon, you'll be alone for a while," Gaster explained. "Fallen usually spend five years here before getting permanent housing, but if I pull a few strings, I might be able to get you out of here considerably sooner than that. For now, your day has probably been very tiring, so just relax for a bit. Wakeup call is at 8:30, so you can sleep in a bit. I should be off; the others will be wanting their scientist back." He waved goodbye and shut the door quietly.

Alphys staggered over to the couch and slumped down in it. All the day's excitement was catching up to her. She could get properly settled later; for now, she just needed to... needed to get... some sleep...

 

Artificial sunlight from the glowing moss on the cavern ceiling streamed through the window as Alphys woke up. Yawning, she checked her watch: 6:13. The day here started earlier than she was used to.

Propping her spear against the wall, Alphys stumbled into the bathroom. _A shower would feel really good right now,_ she thought. Tossing her clothes onto the floor, she stepped into the shower stall, letting the warm water wash off all the sweat and dirt from yesterday's escapade. She stepped out and toweled herself off, finding a new set of clothes, complete with lab coat, on top of the neatly stacked towels. She tidied up and brought her clothes into one of he bedrooms, sitting on one of he beds. The mattress had just enough give to it; Alphys regretted not using it. _Oh, well,_ she shrugged. _I'll be here for a while, so it's not like I'll be missing anything._

After she had everything squared away, she sat down on the couch to think. She often did some of her best thinking in the mornings, when nobody else was awake and she had no on obligations. Today, unsurprisingly, her mind drifted to her life back in the Underground. Inventing things for King Asgore, watching anime with Undyne, helping Sans with his machine, making spaghetti with Papyrus- remembering all the good times she had, she wasn't sure why she had done what she had. Thinking it over would have been a more rational course of action, but she hadn't been thinking very rationally then.

Alphys did a double take. Her friends- Undyne, Asgore, Sans, Papyrus- what did they think had happened? Undyne, at least, had seen her jump, and had probably told the others. But how would she know if she was alive or... not? _The spear,_ she reminded herself. _Undyne wouldn't have kept it if she didn't think I was okay._ But what if she didn't really believe it? Alphys imagined her, kneeling at he edge of the waterfall, calling her name desperately. Her eyes grew wet with tears. What had she done to her friends? What had she done?

A sharp knock broke Alphys out of her misery. Grateful for the distraction, she wiped the tears from her eyes and stood up, trotting to the door. Gaster stood outside, corporeal hands folded behind his back, magical hands splayed in an arch above his head. "Good morning, Alphys," he nodded. "Did you sleep well?"

"Good morning, s- Gaster. Yes, I did, thank you. Why are you up so early?"

"Days here are longer, as you may have noticed," he explained, his purple hand gesturing to the ceiling. "Also, I like to get an early start and just think for a while. It helps me get an idea of my goals for the day."

"Me, too," Alphys said, bobbing her head slightly. "Any reason you need me this morning?"

"As a matter of fact, yes," Gaster replied. "I was fine-tuning my device, and I need help selecting the correct ethereal wavelength. You know Mettaton better than perhaps anyone, so I thought you could be of assistance."

"O-of course!" Alphys stammered. The thought of getting Mettaton back made her giddy. It couldn't atone for her mistake, not really, but it was still a step forward. "I'll be right out!" Closing the door, she grabbed up her spear and a few fresh notebooks, then rushed back out to join Gaster.

 

Back at the lab, Gaster flipped a few switches on a large bank of computers, and it whirred to life, numbers flashing across the small display. "That will pick out the possible wavelengths Mettaton's soul could be resonating at," he explained, adjusting the keyboard so it sat squarely in its rack. "For now, we have some time to talk. Is there anything you'd like to know about the Underdepths?"

Alphys's 'to ask' list suddenly slipped from her mind. Grasping for questions, she said the first thing that popped into her head: "How old is this place?"

Gaster settled into his chair, folding one leg across the other. "Older than the Underground itself," he responded. "Even before the war, humans and monsters would go on explorations down in what's now the Underground. Some never returned, and presumably wound up here. That's why the humans and monsters here are so good at coexisting."

"The regions down here, do they correspond to those up above?"

"Yes and no. The boundaries are similar, but the climates don't match. Fallen Forest, for example, is similar to Snowdin, but located under Waterfall. Equatorius, where your house is, has similar temperatures to Hotland, but is actually under Snowdin. You see?"

"Yes," Alphys nodded. Remembering the bridge, she asked, "About the canyon separating Fallen Forest and Equatorius: is there anything down there?"

"That canyon is almost unimaginably deep; comparable to The Fall- or so we assume. It's funny, people that fall into giant holes once don't tend to do so again." Gaster smiled.

Something had been bugging Alphys, and she finally remembered what it was. "On the way down, just before I came out of the ceiling, I saw something weird- a face, maybe? What was that?"

Gaster's brow furrowed. "I don't know," he said slowly. "I don't seem to recall any sort of face, and nobody else has ever mentioned one. I'll have to look into that."

The computer dinged, and a short list of numbers shot out of the printer. Gaster levitated them to him and motioned Alphys to come closer. "These are all the frequencies of Underground ghosts. Unless the Blook family has grown since I last checked, one of these has to be Mettaton." Alphys felt a rush of excitement; he was alive! Now they just had to get him back. Somehow.

"Using this machine over here-" Gaster thumped a device that looked vaguely like a jukebox with two pairs of headphones attached- "we can test these frequencies for general emotion. This is where you come in; you need to help me pick out Mettaton. Whenever you're ready, we can begin."

"Okay," Alphys nodded. Gaster picked up a pair of headphones and placed them on his skull, Alphys doing likewise. Typing in the first number, 52.23 eH, Gaster turned a small dial. The machine crackled, and Alphys was filled with a sense of diluted anger. "Nope," she said hurriedly, lifting the headphones off.

"Let's try this one," Gaster murmured, jotting down a note and typing 76.01 eH. Alphys lowered the headphones back on, and was overcome with- nothing. This ghost seemed to be at peace with their condition.

"Don't think so," said Alphys, shaking her head.

123.77 eH was not pleasant. The wave of depression was so strong, Alphys and Gaster both yanked the headphones off and shuddered. "C-c-could be," Alphys muttered. She hoped not; she wouldn't wish that kind of condition upon her worst enemy. "Let's t-try the last one."

203.15 eH seemed to be the golden number. This was a very sad ghost, to be sure, but there was also something else mixed in- Optimism? Hope? Whatever it was, it seemed very Mettaton. "I think this is it," Alphys nodded, setting the headphones down.

Gaster strode over to the new body (had he really done that in just one night?) and keyed the frequency into a small number pad near its shoulder. With a hum, the satellite dish pointed upwards, roaming around until it acquired its target. Alphys felt rather than saw the waves of energy it put out, sending invisible ripples through the air. A sudden light streaked into the dish, and the robot seemed to jerk awake, a soul materializing in the canister. Something wasn't quite right, though; Mettaton's soul was pink, and this one was blue.

Shakily, the robot stood up, blinking slowly as it looked around. "hey, alphys," it said slowly. "where is this?" Noticing Gaster, it turned shakily and gave a shy wave. "hey," it said. "i don't think i know you. my name is napstablook."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> eH stands for ectohertz, if you were curious.
> 
> I couldn't make getting Mettaton back easy, could I? You have to earn your sexy robot! The blue color of Mettaton 2.0 was no accident.


	6. Accomodations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alphys and Gaster do a bit of redesign for Napstablook.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, this chapter is literally all about Napstablook. He is too precious.

"N-napstablook!" Alphys exclaimed. "I- you weren't- we-" She glanced pleadingly at Gaster.

"I apologize, Napstablook," Gaster jumped in. "My name is W. D. Gaster. What Alphys here means to say is that we never intended to pull you here. You're now in the Underdepths, deeper even than he Underground."

"oh," Napstablook said softly. "i guess i should go, then." He closed his eyes like he was concentrating, but snapped them open seconds later, fear visible in his expression. "what? what's going on? why can't i float?" he cried, staring around. Glancing down, he finally noticed his new metal body. "what did you- why am i- what is this!?" An alarm started sounding, blue lights on his shoulder blinking red.

"Don't panic!" Gaster cried. "That's just the-" With a loud clang, Napstablook dropped to the floor, the lights in his eyes out. Alphys and Gaster winced. "The emotional overload alert," he finished quietly.

 

Napstablook stirred, the lights in his chest blinking back on. "Gaster!" Alphys called. "He-he's awake!"

Gaster set down the parts he had been tinkering with and walked over, smiling at Napstablook. "Welcome back to the land of the corporeal," he told him, checking for dents or scratches. "You were out for quite a while; that must have been quite a shock."

Napstablook sat up, marveling at the fact that he had arms and legs to sit up with. "i'm sorry," he apologized. "i shouldn't be here. i'm not supposed to be here. i should... i should go."

"I'm afraid it's not that simple," Gaster said, shaking his head. "You see that device in your left shoulder? That's what brought you here. It's locked onto your ethereal resonance and pulled you into this body. To make sure the experience is as natural as possible, it also generates an artificial field that mimics fusing with a corporeal body. It would be easy enough to turn it off, except..." Gaster put his right hand behind his head ashamedly. "I built it into the core wiring of the robot, so turning it off would require dismantling the entire thing. Assuming you're okay with it, it would be far less painful for you to stay where you are until I can work out another solution.

"y-yes!" Napstablook stammered, straightening up. "i mean, sure, that would be okay. if it's easiest, that is." He slumped back down, looking embarrassed.

Alphys smiled at the robot. "We made this body modular to accommodate Mettaton's fashion swings, so we could design some new parts that would fit you better." Mettaton was male, but he had always been very flamboyant, preferring makeup and glitter over more traditionally masculine features.

Before Napstablook could say anything, Gaster chimed in. "It's no trouble, really," he reassured him. "I needed a new project, anyways, and this seems as good a way as any to pass the time."

Napstablook seemed to be considering it. "well, if it's really okay with you two, i guess i'd be okay with that..."

"Great!" Alphys exclaimed. "We can start right away, if you like."

Gaster was already at a nearby table, his nine hands full of tools. His efficiency was almost scary, like a well-oiled machine. "I'll get to work on a face baseplate," he called. "Alphys, could you do the arms? Those seem to be the most significant parts."

"Sure!" Alphys replied, already grabbing tools and sheets of metal. Laying them out on her workstation, she turned to Napstablook, who was idly clenching and unclenching his hand.

"What would you like your arms to be like, Napstablook?" she asked, laying out some sheets of paper on the side of the table. "Draw it out, if you can."

Napstablook cautiously picked up a pencil, testing the tip, and began to sketch lightly. Alphys was impressed; even though he had chosen to pursue music rather than art, his brother's talent seemed to run in the family. They talked for a bit, discussing the pros and cons of various ideas, until Gaster called him over to do the same. Napstablook seemed to be gaining confidence, and he looked to be having a good time. It reminded Alphys of her initial sessions designing Mettaton EX.

After a while, the new arms and face were done, and they moved on. Gaster focused on the legs, using a few spare hands to tinker with a side project, and Alphys took her favorite part: the chest. She loved how many different features a shaped plate of metal could contain, and Napstablook seemed determined to push her capabilities to the limit.

"do you think you could put the audio jack a little farther down?" he asked, leaning over the blueprints.

"If I did that, I'd have to move the internal wiring for the speaker system around, which might alter the balance a bit. But if I disperse the weight throughout the rest of the chassis..." She trailed off, sketching it out.

"and... i have one more request..." Napstablook's newfound courage seemed to be fading, and it was shyly that he drew in the cosmetic features: an imitation tuxedo, complete with bow tie/straight tie switching functionality. 

"Of course! Whatever you like!" exclaimed Alphys. "This is your body, after all." She circled a few key points and pulled on her welding mask, setting a few pieces of metal together. Napstablook wandered over to Gaster, already throwing ideas out for the legs.

 

Hours later, the parts were done and ready to be attached. Alphys turned off Napstablook's pain sensors, and Gaster set to work detaching his limbs and installing the new ones. When he got to the face, Napstablook looked nervous, but everything went off without a hitch. Alphys reactivated motor control, and Napstablook stretched, testing his newly form. Gaster stood off to the side, looking thoughtful.

"We can't very well call you Mettaton 2.0, can we?" he mused. "And Napsablook isn't a very good fit, either."

"How about Napstaton?" Alphys suggested. "Or Napstaton EX, officially."

"i like it," Napstablook agreed.

"Then it's decided!" Gaster exclaimed. "Napstaton, welcome to the Underdepths."

~ ~ ~

Undyne lay on her couch, despair washing over her. "Please let her be okay," she murmured. "Oh god, please let her be okay."

"COME ON, UNDYNE," Papyrus coaxed. "YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE CAPTURING THE HUMAN."

"It doesn't matter anymore. They left Waterfall, so they're not my problem. Besides, what about A- Al-" She cut off, crying silently into her hands.

"DON'T CRY, UNDYNE," Papyrus comforted her. "WE'LL GET ALPHYS BACK; I JUST KNOW IT."

Undyne sprang up, wiping the tears from her eyes and sniffing angrily. "THAT'S what I'll do!" she cried. "I'm going to find that nerd and bring her back if it's the last thing I do!" With a violent flick of her wrist, a spear materialized in her hand, and she stormed towards the door.

"UNDYNE, I DON'T THINK-" Papyrus was cut off with a bang as the door slammed shut. He sighed exasperatedly. "I GUESS SPAGHETTI NIGHT WILL HAVE TO WAIT," he grumbled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I lied about the "literally all Napstablook"; hope ya don't mind Undyne's guest appearance.


	7. Assembly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gaster can be scary when he's focused.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That took longer than I expected. Sorry I haven't updated in a few days. I'll probably have one more chapter focusing on robo-blook, and then I'll move on to more "fishy" topics. ;)

Napstaton was adjusting well to his new body, almost as if he'd been practicing before he came down. He hardly ever tripped anymore, and he could pull off a few basic dance moves without losing his balance. Today, though, nobody was doing any dancing. Gaster was off explaining to the Council of Elders why a new ghost in a robot was walking around outside the Hall of of Fallen. Alphys and Napstaton sat nervously in the lab, thinking about nothing in particular.

"So, what's happened in the Underground recently?" Alphys finally asked. "How is Undyne? And everyone else," she added hastily.

"things got pretty sad when mettaton... died," he began, face clouding with sadness. "a lot of people were really worried when you disappeared, and when  undyne told us what happened..." He trailed off uncomfortably.

"Well, I'm alive, last I checked," Alphys quipped, trying to produce a smile. Seeing none, she continued, "And about Mettaton... The reason Gaster and I built that body was because we don't think Mettaton is dead. Gaster thinks his soul survived the explosion and is floating around somewhere." Suddenly, she had an idea. "Hey! The emotional detector Gaster made! We can use it to tell how Mettaton's feeling right now." Leaning across the table, Alphys slid the machine over and picked up the headphones, handing a pair to Napstaton. They put them on together, and Alphys punched in 123.77 eH and turned the dial.

Sadness rushed into her, so strong as to be almost tangible. This wasn't the outright depression of yesterday; this was more resigned, like he had given up hope of rescue.

"is- is that really what metta is feeling?" Napstaton asked softly. "i wish he could be happier. nobody should ever have to feel like nobody loves them." Seeming to realize his hypocrisy, he coughed slightly and pulled the headphones off.

"It's okay, Blooky," Alphys said softly, laying her hand on the robot's glove. "We'll figure out how to get Mettaton back. It might be as simple as just rebuilding Gaster's device."

 

"It's not as simple as rebuilding my device," Gaster frowned, hands clapsed behind his back.

"But why?" Alphys wondered. "Why can't we just do it again?"

"Because that machine uses only the best quality focusing crystals our mines can find," he replied. "It could take months to find another one flawless enough to tune something as delicate as an ethereal frequency."

"so what do we do about mettaton?" Napstaton asked concernedly. "we can't just leave him like he is."

"No, we can't," agreed Gaster. "If Mettaton stays like he is, he runs the risk of becoming what some call a Lost Soul- unable to interact with anything, doomed to wander the world until they lose the will to exist." Napstaton looked terrified by the prospect.

"that's awful!" he cried. "we need to get mettaton back before that can happen!"

"Any other ideas, Gaster?" Alphys asked.

"Not particularly," he replied. "I was hoping you'd have some inspiration to act as a starting point."

As flattered as Alphys was (being asked by Gaster for advice!), she couldn't think of anything. "I don't know," she confessed.

"How about you, Napstaton?" Gaster asked, turning to him.

"m-me?" Napstaton asked nervously. "i-i don't think i can help. i don't know anything about science..." He trailed off, looking at his feet.

"We don't need someone who knows science," Gaster smiled encouragingly. "We just need someone who can think outside the box. A non-scientist might even be better, since your mind hasn't been trained to think like ours. It doesn't matter how ridiculous the ideas are; we just need some as places to start."

"well..." Napstaton started uncertainly. "you said you need this crystal to tune into the ethereal frequency, right? doesn't that emotion sensor you built do that?"

Gaster looked confused, until a look of amazement crept over his face. "You're RIGHT!" he shouted, smacking his forehead with his yellow hand, then purple for good measure. "I told you that you could help! The emotional detector. That's brilliant, Napstaton!" His spare hands snatched up the device and grabbed screwdrivers, already opening up the case and popping open the small black box inside. A shard of crystal glowed pink in a humming beam of similarly colored electricity, but changed to a translucent sky blue as he popped it out. "How could I miss such a thing!?" he cried. "I was worried we might be too late, and the answer was hiding right under our noses the entire time!"

"So, does this mean we can build another robot for Mettaton now?" Alphys chimed in. Gaster stopped mid-scrapping, furrowing his skeletal brow again.

"Ah," he began, the embodiment of coherence. "Well. You see, the Council only gives me a certain amount of material each month, and we blew most of it on Napstaton's body- a worthwhile investment, to be sure- we'd have to wait several weeks for my next shipment, and as I said before, we may not have that long. If we really needed to, we could build an emergency soul storage box from scraps, but I doubt Mettaton would appreciate that as much as a real body." Turning back to Napstablook, he looked at him inquiringly. "Have you any more 'outside-of-the-box' solutions to propose?" he asked, seemingly oblivious to his own pun.

Napstaton seemed to have other things on his mind. "oh no..." he whispered, his face in his hands. "it's because of me... it's my fault... oh no..." Tears leaked out from the corners of his artificial eyes, and Alphys had to take a moment to admire Gaster's handiwork.

"if-if only there were so way for me- for me to g-give him this body..." Napstaton sniffed, his cheeks drenched with magical tears. "i wish i could just l-let him t-take control-"

"WAIT." Gaster snapped his head upwards to face the crying robot. "What dis you just say?" he almost shouted.

Napstaton looked startled by the intrusion into his misery. "i-i just said i wish i could let mettaton t-take cont-"

"That's IT!" barked Gaster, simultaneously slamming all nine hands down on the table, making Alphys jump a solid foot into the air. "If we can't build a new body, we can repurpose the old one! The binding field works just fine for one ghost, so why shouldn't two work just as well for two!?" With terrifying speed, his hands flew around the room, snatching up items and teleporting in flashes of light blue back next to him. 

Alphys was stunned. Gaster hardly ever teleported, especially not for something as simple as tools and parts. Moving so fast Alphys wasn't entirely sure he hadn't slowed time around him, his hands slammed parts together, using intense red magic to instantly solder them together. "ALPHYS!" he barked, making her jump another foot. "I need a resonance stabilizer and a magical shock inhibitor, PRONTO!" Unused to this kind of intensity but knowing what he expected, Alphys located the parts and threw them towards him. As they neared his workstation, a hand would come up, flashing light blue as they were transported in front of him. Momentum preserved, the pieces slammed into the growing replica of the device on Napstaton's left shoulder, which was precisely positioned just in time to catch the flying metal.

This went on for several minutes, Alphys throwing things with increasing speed and frequency, Gaster never missing a beat as he called out what he needed next. Napstaton cowered in the corner, sheer terror evident on his face. Gaster was only using a fraction of his power, but even simply assembling something like this was a fearsome sight to behold. Back before the accident, Sans would be using magic to catapult things at Gaster at such high speeds Alphys was always afraid he'd miss one and have his skull broken. Sans and Gaster had made a perfect team; they seemed to know what the other needed before they said it, and on familiar projects, they would often go through this routine in complete silence, broken only by the soft _pop_ of teleportation and, of course, the _clang_ of metal on metal.

Los in her reminiscence, Alphys found herself looking for her next part and realizing Gaster had stopped. Turning towards him, she saw him slightly stooped over the new part, his panting not quite drowning out Napstaton's fearful whimpers. All his magical hands had dissipated. Facing Alphys, he straightened up, swaying slightly. "Well, that's done," he said, his voice somewhat shaky.

Alphys bit her lip and held up one hand. "Doctor Gaster, you might want to sit down," she pleaded, glancing uneasily up and down his sweating form.

Gaster frowned, but his tired muscles made it look comical. "Doctor Alphys," he began, slowly wagging his finger (and his whole hand) at her, "what did I tell you about titles?" His eyesockets went black, and he collapsed to the floor, thankfully without any cracks. Alphys rushed over, rolling him onto his back and draping his lab coat, discarded in the heat of the moment, over him.

Satisfied that Gaster would be okay, Alphys stood up and looked to Napstaton, who stood watching with horrified fascination. "i- he- you- what-" he stammered, trying to process what he had just seen.

"It's okay, Napstaton," Alphys reassured him, taking his hand and standing on her toes so she could place the other on his shoulder. "Gaster can be pretty scary when he does that, but he'd never hurt anyone." She stopped herself before she could add any conditionals to that statement. "He'll apologize as soon as he wakes up, just you watch."

Napstaton looked somewhat less nervous, but still glanced at Gaster's unconscious form. "so..." he said, looking back to the brand new device Gaster had just completed, "should we get this installed?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing crying Napataton made me feel like crying, and writing scared Napstaton made me scared, too. Blooky is just too easy to empathize with. I will love him always and forever. Cherish that ghost.
> 
> UPDATE: I'm so sorry I haven't updated in a while. Other things have pulled me away, but I'll try my best to have another chapter out by Sunday at the latest. Sorry to keep everyone waiting.


	8. Hello, Darlings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Mettaton arrives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ack. It's been far too long since I last updated, so I felt I had to get this out. This'll be the last forseeable chapter that focuses on the ghostbots. They'll still show up, but focus will be shifting to the other characters, namely everyone's favorite boulder-suplexing fish lady.

As the lights of Gaster's eyes flickered to life, Alphys turned the last bolt, securing the modified shoulder plate in place. "There," she declared triumphantly. "That should do it."

Shakily, the tall skeleton stood, swaying slightly as he regained his balance. "Sorry, how long was I out?" he asked, feeling himself for signs of damage.

"about three hours," Napstaton informed him, testing his newly outfitted shoulder. "we had time to install the shoulder piece, in addition to a separate soul canister for mettaton."

Gaster shook his head. "I really should be more careful when I do that," he sighed.

"Probably," Alphys nodded absentmindedly, examining her handiwork. "Are we ready to turn this on?"

"We should be," Gaster agreed. "123.88 eH, was it?"

".77," Alphys corrected. "Now, stay still, please, Napstaton." Gently, she typed the numbers in and flipped the switch. Standing back with her hands clasped nervously, she felt the waves of incorporeal energy and saw the streak of light. A pink heart materialized in the right soul canister, and Napstaton's blue right eye winked out, replaced by a pink one. The soul seemed less vibrant than when Alphys had seen it last, almost transparent.

The pink eye opened wide, staring down at its body. Napstaton's right arm sprung into action, patting up and down his torso to feel around.

"Don't faint!" Alphys shouted, then quieter, "It's me, Metta. It's Alphys. You're gonna be fine."

The half of Napstaton that was not Napstaton took a step forward, which was matched by the other half. "What-" it stammered in a voice Alphys knew very well. "Did you put me in another body? Why can I only control half of it? Is it mafunctioning? You have to fix it!"

"it's okay, metta," Napstaton said reassuringly. Alphys heard a slight difference in the robot's voice, but it was still strange watching him talk to himself. "we're both in the same body right now."

"Bl-blooky!?" Mettaton stammered. "Y-you're here too!? Is that why I can't control half of this body? This will never work! Alphys, there has to be a better way!"

"This is the best we've got, at least for another month or so," Alphys shook her head.

"We could built you a box of your own," Gaster chimed in, "but boxes aren't known for their mobility or fashion sense."

"Fashion sense?" Mettaton asked confusedly. Suddenly understanding, he all but dragged the body in front of the large mirror Napstaton had been using to adjust the shoulder piece. Staring at his reflection for a moment, he broke into a wide grin (which looked strange with only half a face at his command). "Alphys, darling!" he crooned. "This body looks fabulous! Not quite my style, but..." He kicked the air experimentally and staggered as Napstaton tried to compensate for the unexpected movement.

"Th-thanks, Mettaton," Alphys blushed. Gaster cleared his throat, and they all turned to look at him.

"We're going to have to find a better way to split control than 50/50," he pointed out, spreading his hands to emphasize the statement. "I propose that total control be given to one ghost at a time, switching each day. The 'dormant' member can still vocalize, but without the accompanying mouth movements." The ghosts nodded together, both frowning in thought.

"That sounds fair," Mettaton agreed.

"would we have to switch parts every day?" asked Napstaton, unconsciously rubbing his leg.

"Only if you want to," Alphys offered. "If you were both okay with it, you could use the other's parts, or even mix and match."

Mettaton cocked his head. "You made parts for me?" he asked, suddenly looking very interested. "Blooky, I just have to see them! Who has control today?"

"I was thinking that Napstaton could show you around today, then let you try it out tomorrow," suggested Gaster.

"Oh, fine," Mettaton pouted, trying to cross his arms before remembering he could only use one. "Tomorrow, then." The pink eye rolled before fading to blue again. Napstaton stretched, testing his limb control.

"thanks so much," he told Alphys and Gaster. "i can finally catch up with mettaton! he's usually too busy to visit, but now..."

"Now I'm always visiting!" came Mettaton's voice from the speakers set into Napstaton's chest. "Come on, Blooky! Let's get this show on the road!" Napstaton walked off, sighing as Mettaton continued whooping and hollering.

"Let's hope they don't get too lost," Gaster smiled. "Now, I'm afraid we have important things to take care of. The Council of Elders wants to speak to you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> School ended for me today (finally), so I might have a little more time to write. Here's hoping.
> 
> Any reccomendations on where to take the story? Drop a comment, and I'll consider it. The sooner I know what to write, the sooner I can write it- right?


	9. The Council Has Spoken

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gaster is put on trial, and even more names to try and remember are introduced.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, this took a while. A long while. So sorry about that. But hey, at least you're getting a lot out of it. This might actually be the longest chapter yet.

"You are the monster known as Alphys, are you not?" the older Aaron asked from his perch behind the podium. The layout resembled the courtrooms Alphys had seen in Phoenix Wright: Ace Attourney, probably because of human influences. Eight monsters and four humans, all showing signs of age, occupied the jury benches, with Alphys in the defendant's seat and Gaster in the prosecution's. The resemblance unsettled her, as it suggested punishment to be delivered.

"By the soul of the world, I am," Alphys replied. The Council frowned at each other, and Alphys silently thanked Gaster for his crash course in Underdepths etiquette.

"Alphys, you are called before the Council today to discuss your unusual, **unauthorized** -" several Council members glared at Gaster- "promotion from Fallen to citizen, and also the matter of the ghost you helped pull down and place into a robot." Alphys pulled at the collar of her lab coat, wishing she hadn't had to leave her spear outside. It made for an excellent stress reliever. "Let us begin with the former. You have been here a mere five days now, and yet have been presented with knowledge officially available only to those who have lived here as one of the Fallen for as many years. This is due to the actions of one W.D. Gaster, currently in attendance." As the Council shifted their focus to Gaster, Alphys released a breath she hadn't realized she's been holding.

"You are the monster known as W.D. Gaster, are you not?" the Council leader asked.

"By the soul of the world, I am," Gaster replied smoothly. His magical hands were placed neatly in a straight line, and they flashed a series of symbols Alphys presumed was sign language for his statement.

"W.D. Gaster, you are called before the council to discuss the promotion of Alphys from Fallen to citizen, as well as the ghost pulled from the Underground." Already focused on Gaster's hands, Alphys saw that they translated this, too. A white-haired human, presumably deaf, was focused intently them, scanning their message before it "refreshed" to the next line.

A well-dressed dragon leaned over and whispered something to the Aaron, who nodded and continued. "Several Council members have denounced your actions to the former as going against the cardinal rule of secrecy in the Underdepths. Most wish to remain anonymous, but one member has asked to speak on behalf of the denouncement. Councilor Nortenn has the floor."

The dragon stood and strode up to the podium, nodding respectfully as the leader stepped aside. With a stern look around the room, as if internally judging all those present, he began. "Thank you, Councilor Fabian. W.D. Gaster has, in prematurely granting Alphys citizenship, disrupted our way of life and blatantly disregarded one of our oldest traditions. It is written in every ancient text that newcomers to the Underdepths must spend five years as a Fallen before learning the true extent of our society. This tradition has served us well for millennia, and would still if Gaster had not broken it." Nortenn paused, looking around for approval. Several Councilors nodded, and he launched into his concluding argument. "Gaster must be punished for his actions so that our way of life may remain undisturbed. For if we ignore this instance, who is to say we will not ignore the next one?" He smiled, satisfied with himself, and concluded, "Thank you, and may the soul of the world shine upon all of us."

As Nortenn took his seat, Fabian stepped back up and cleared his throat to dispel the light applause from the Council. "Now, speaking on behalf of the accused, Councilor Jin has the floor."

The white-haired deaf human stepped up to the podium and began to sign rapidly. Gaster began, "Thank you, Councilor Fabian. W.D. Gaster is not wrong in-"

"Stop!" Fabian called, holding up a hand. "As Gaster is the accused in this situation, he is not allowed to serve as translator so he may not alter the testimony." Gaster looked taken aback, but signed this with his floating hands. Jin threw up their hands exasperatedly, but dug out a tattered notebook and pencil from her pocket and began scribbling furiously while the rest of the room waited in silence.

After a minute, Jin tore the paper from the book and handed it to Fabian, then stepped back, frowning. He took their place and read, "W.D. Gaster is not wrong in his actions. While the texts do say that Fallen must serve as such for five years before learning our secrets, they do not specify what those secrets are. We have interpreted this to mean the advanced nature of our society, but it could refer to any number of little-known things Alphys is not yet privy to. Gaster may have acted impulsively, but his motives were sound, and he is right in his prediction of change. Thank you, and may the soul of the world shine upon all of us." Jin bowed just short of mockingly low and took her seat, still frowning slightly.

"Now we will have a citizen to speak against the accused," Fabian continued. "Would Neil please present his argument." Alphys jumped as she heard footsteps behind her and turned to find Neil had apparently entered silently after them. He strode to the podium, nodding respectfully to Fabian and shooting Gaster a sorry look. "Thank you, Councilor Fabian. W.D. Gaster is no stranger to me- he helped raise me ever since my father passed away- but I still find his actions improper. He has, as Councilor Nortenn said, broken one of our longest-held traditions. Councilor Jin made a valid point about the wording of the texts, but it is not the texts we follow, it is what we have always done. Our interpretation is more important than the original intention. Thank you, and may the soul of the world shine upon all of us." As he walked back down, he looked over at Nortenn, who smiled encouragingly.

"And finally, are there any who would wish to speak on behalf of Gaster?" asked Fabian, looking around the nearly empty room. The pointless gesture would have seemed funny to Alphys if the situation were less serious, but there was too much tension. _I can't let anything happen to Gaster,_ she thought nervously. _I wish I could do something to help him._

For a moment Alphys wondered why everyone was looking at her, until she realized that she had said that out loud. Her face reddened, and she reflexively ducked her head slightly so she appeared shorter.

"Alphys, is there something you'd like to say?" asked Fabian, raising an eyebrow.

Alphys was incredibly nervous, but she saw what she had to do. "I-I would like t-to s-s-speak on behalf of G-gaster," she stammered. Fabian nodded and motioned for her to come forward.

Trying to keep her pulse under control, Alphys shuffled up to the front of the room and positioned herself behind the podium. "Th-th-thank you, Counc-cilor F-fabian," she managed. Several Councilors looked skeptical, but Nortenn appeared ready, even eager, to hear her defense. The apparent show of support from the 'enemy' filled Alphys with determination, and she continued a bit less nervously. "It may b-be true that W-W.D. Gaster is in v-violation of your laws, but that law d-does not make sense. What is the p-purpose of having such a law? What function does it s-serve? Why should newly f-fallen be prevented from taking full advantage of your society? Thank you," she finished, "and may the soul of the world sh-shine over all of us."

For a long moment, silence reigned. Finally, Fabian stepped up to the podium Alphys had swiftly vacated, a stunned look on his face. "If all testimonies have been heard, the Council will now debate," he said shakily. Quiet chaos broke out among the councilors before Fabian even stepped back, monsters and humans whispering furiously and waving their arms in silent disagreement. Alphys dry-washed her hands nervously, almost missing Gaster's grateful smile. She smiled back, but it faded in a second, lost in worry over the verdict. What if the speech wasn't enough? What if they arrested her for speaking out against their laws? What if-

"A verdict has been reached," Fabian announced. Alphys gave a start; she hadn't expected it to be so fast, and from the looks on their faces, neither had the Council. "W.D. Gaster is hereby absolved of all charges. The Council will reconvene in four days' time to discuss the revision of several laws. The trial of the summoned ghost will be held the following day. May the soul of the world shine upon all of us."

As the Council silently filed out, Jin stepped aside and grabbed Alphys's arm. She shrank back, and they released their grip and began signing furiously. "Thank you," Gaster translated. "When I saw that my speech was not enough, I though Gaster was finished, but you saved him. I'm sure people have thought it, but nobody has ever made that point before in a Council hearing. You're going places, young lady." Jin shook Alphys' hand and hurried back to the line just before the doors opened and several reporters began asking about the trial and it's verdict.

"I must agree with Jin," Gaster said softly. "Thank you so much for that. I know public speaking isn't in your nature, but you handled that very well. I myself have thought that was a foolish law, but I never expected they'd take its challenging so well. Now we'd best get back to the lab and tell Napstaton and Mettaton about this. Walk professionally, and if the reporters try to ask you anything, just ignore them. Confidence is key..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have any questions about the Councilors, the trial format, the Council itself, or anything else, don't hesitate to ask. I answer comments far more quickly than I write chapters. :P


	10. Bonus Chapter: The World Above (but not that above)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alphys hasn't been the only one building something.

"Alright, dogs!" shouted Undyne, slamming the butt of her spear onto the stony ground. The Royal Guard stood at attention, five canine faces stern and serious. "And skeleton," she added, noticing Papyrus' upset look. "Let's go over the plan one more time: Greater Dog will man the rope. Dogamy and Dogaressa will obtain more rope. Lesser Dog and Doggo will be lowered on the platform itself. I will parachute ahead to make sure all's well. And Papyrus-" The skeleton stood straight, fighting to keep his excitement contained. "Will oversee the operation in my absence. Now, as soon as the platform is complete- and I mean AS SOON AS- we will be commencing the operation. You'd all better remember your jobs, or you're not going to like the consequences. Got me!?" The Guard nodded once in unison, and Undyne slammed her fist into her palm.

"Right! Then let's get started! Greater Dog, Papyrus, keep getting more planks. Doggamy, Dogaressa, Doggo, start nailing them together. Lesser Dog, get as many nails as you can lay your paws on. Tell people it's on my orders. I'll go- uh- check over the blueprints. I'll be back later, but don't stop until someone complains that they're being kept awake by the noise!" Seeing the dogs and Papyrus scurrying to fulfill her orders, Undyne dashed off towards her house.

Throwing open the door, she ran into her bedroom and threw herself onto the bed. Grabbing her pillow, she hugged it, tears welling up in the corners of her eyes. _No,_ she told herself sternly. _A true warrior doesn't cry. Alphys would want me to be strong._ She sniffed and scowled defiantly. _I'm gonna get that nerd back if it kills me!_ Sitting up and wiping the tears away, Undyne grabbed the blueprints for the lift, checking them for flaws. She only had one shot at this, and she was going to make sure it was perfect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I spent an hour reading Alphyne fics trying to think of a good pet name for Undyne to use.


	11. Bonus Chapter: Tears

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I forgot I was just waiting for wifi to post this. Hope it tides y'all over 'til I can get a real chapter up.

It had been two days since the Council hearing, and Alphys was up early again to think. Yesterday she had been able to focus her energies on a way to make the robots' part switching more efficient, but today her mind drifted- in a very specific direction.

Alphys had harbored feelings for Undyne ever since they had first met and admiration blossomed into attraction. The hectic events since the fall had taken her mind off of it, but now she was remembering the full extent of her fantasies. She had filled notebooks with fanfiction about them admitting mutual crushes, living together, and... less pure things. She blushed at the thought, but the tingling in her cheeks stopped as she considered her immediate situation. As she had fallen, she had watched Undyne show a side she had never seen before: desperation. Granted, it might have been simple platonic friendship, but something inside her whispered it was more than just that.

 _Quiet,_ Alphys chided herself. _That's way too optimistic. I'd probably react the same way if Sans or Asgore fell like that._ But either way, Undyne had looked devastated to see her there, and reciprocation or not, Alphys loved her.

She hardly noticed as tears rolled down her cheeks. _I should never have even considered that,_ she thought, not for the first time. _Why did I have to do that to myself? To Undyne? Oh, Undyne!_ Alphys buried her face in between the cushions of her couch, mind racing in despair. If not for this, she could have had a future with Undyne. Why, oh why, did this have to happen to her? Why did she have to do it to herself!? 

~ ~ ~

Up above, Undyne's thoughts were following a similar tangent. "Alphys... why?" she whispered to herself, curled into a ball on her bed. "Why did you have to leave me?" _Be strong!_ part of her chided, but she pushed it down. Strength could wait.

"Alphys... I know you can't hear me, but I- I-" Undyne gulped down a sob and smashed her face into the blankets. "I love you!" she shouted, the sheets muffling her words. Finally vocalizing that which she had been containing for so long broke a barrier inside of her, and she began to sob in earnest, tears soaking her mattress. Strength could wait; for now, she'd get all the weakness out.


	12. Your Best Nightmare

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No, Flowey has nothing to do with this. You have to take it more literally.

"A verdict has been reached," Fabian intoned. "The ghosts known as Napstablook and Mettaton are to be considered Fallen and granted full citizenship rights, as per Amendment 2. They will be assigned to living quarters in Equatorius until such time as they are willing and able to relocate. May the soul of the world shine upon all of us."

As the council exited, followed by a jubilant robot, Gaster smiled at Alphys. "Two short trials in a row," he announced. "That must be a record."

"Don't thank me," Alphys blushed. "I was only a tiny part of this one. Did you see how Metta and Blooky handled those questions?"

"They make quite the team," Gaster agreed. "Given time, they may well become a force even the Council fears to reckon with." He chuckled for a moment, and Alphys smiled along. "But now, we ought to escort them to their quarters."

"Oh, yeah," Alphys agreed. "Where are they staying, anyway?"

"You'll see," Gaster smiled in the mysterious way of his. "It's quite close to you, in fact."

 

"You mean we get to live with Doctor Alphys?" Mettaton exclaimed. "That's brilliant! Isn't it brilliant, Blooky!?"

"yeah!" Napstaton agreed. "thank you, doc- gaster!"

"Don't thank me, thank tradition," Gaster shrugged. "This house still has one empty bedroom, so tradition dictates that it be the next to be occupied."

"Well, whatever the circumstances, it's a really great opportunity," Alphys chimed in. "There's so much we need to talk about! And when we're not at the lab, we can just hang out here! Gaster has a whole bunch of animes he found in the waterfall, and some of them I haven't seen yet! There's also this cartoon called Steven Universe that I've heard about. It's not an anime, but it looks really cool, and I was hoping we could all... watch it... together..." Alphys trailed off, realizing everyone was staring at her. "A-anyway, it's gonna be really fun."

"Ooh!" Mettaton exclaimed, clapping in delight. "We just have to watch Soul Eater again! Blooky would love it, wouldn't you, darling?"

"it sounds interesting," Napstaton agreed. "metta's told me about it sometimes, and i like the idea."

"Well, it looks like you three have got this under control," Gaster chuckled. "I'll let you get settled while I go petition the Council for extra metal."

As Gaster turned and left, Alphys beamed at the ghosts. "Come on in!" she beckoned. "I'll show you your rooms- well, room, actually. This house isn't very big, but you'd be surprised how much space there is..."

 

By the time evening rolled around, everything was all set up. The three had agreed to share one room, and the now-vacant second bedroom was converted into extra space for changing and cosmetics. Gaster had stopped by with great news: the Council had approved his request, and he'd get to work on a second body right away. Mettaton and Napstablook (who had offered to change his name back for convenience) were off asking for another bed, and Alphys was eating dinner. The TV- a recently instated right for Fallen- was droning on about the news, which Alphys was only half-listening to. She wanted to learn more about this place, but it was just so boring. Now if news could be presented as anime...

"And now, a special report," announced the crisply dressed bunny. "A glowing blue object was seen streaking from the cavern ceiling half an hour ago. A team of investigators was dispatched to the crash site, but found only a slit gouged in the snow. We go now to chief scientist W.D. Gaster, with insight on the event."

Alphys perked up, interested. An interview with Gaster would be interesting, and her plans for an anime news channel could wait.

"Doctor Gaster, you think you know what caused this mysterious occurrence?" the interviewer asked.

"Just Gaster, Sam. As a self-respecting scientist, I must remain open to other possibilities, but I'm fairly sure of my hypothesis. I believe that the object was a spear magically produced by Undyne, Captain of the Royal Guard in the Underground. If this is true, the spear was likely intended as a signal to alert Alphys, the new Fallen, to an impending rescue mission."

Alphys gaped, any thought of her rapidly cooling instant noodles banished from her mind. Undyne- launching a rescue mission? She looked down at her own spear, glowing fainly on the table. _Undyne is sure enough that I'm alive to keep this here,_ she thought. _It stands to reason she'd want to rescue me._ But one thing nagged her. _Why would Undyne send the signal? She's already overtaxed from my spear. Why not Sans, or Asgore?_ Undyne must be the one leading the rescue team; that had to be it. _Asgore probably delegated the task to her,_ she told herself. _That makes sense, right? Right?_

Alphys was still wondering when she went to sleep.

 

"Pass the popcorn, will ya, Alphys?"

Alphys awoke with a start. She was sitting on her couch with Undyne, Mew Mew Kissy Cutie playing on the TV. "Undyne!" she yelped. "Oh, Undyne! Thank god!" Not caring how it came across, she wrapped Undyne in the tightest hug she could manage.

"W-woah there, nerd!" Undyne exclaimed, wriggling free. "Why the celebration?"

"Undyne, I just had the strangest dream!" Alphys gushed. "I fell down the waterfall and Gaster was there and Napstablook was a robot and there were humans and you were coming to save me!"

"Slow down, Alphys!" chuckled Undyne. "That sounds like something straight from an anime!"

"And Undyne, I missed you so much!"

"Don't worry, Alphys," Undyne reassured her. "I'll always be here for-"

Without warning, the couch beneath Undyne disintegrated, and she was falling down an endless blackness. Alphys screamed. "Undyne!" she cried out, tears pouring down her face. "Undyne! No! DON'T LEAVE ME!"

And then she was falling too, her room a rapidly dwindling circle of light. From the top, she head Mettaton's voice calling her name.

 

"Alphys! Alphys, wake up!"

Alphys shot upright, tears and sweat staining her cheeks as she clung to her pillow for dear life. "Mettaton!" she shouted, making the robot wince.

"Alphys, darling, try to be a little quieter. Blooky is trying to get some sleep."

"no i'm not," Napstablook mumbled from the speaker on Mettaton's chest. "i'm fine."

"No you're not, dear," said Mettaton patiently. "Now get some rest. I'll tell you everything in the morning." His expression turned worried again as he focused back on Alphys. "Alphys, what was that about?"

"J-just a n-n-normal nightmare," Alphys told him shakily.

"Alphys, you get all stuttery whenever you lie," Mettaton chided. "Besides, in most nightmares, the dreamer doesn't yell the name of their love interest for the whole neighborhood to hear."

"M-mettaton!" Alphys blushed profusely. "D-do you really have to say it like that!?"

"I didn't make the language, dear," Mettaton teased.

"あなたはそれのすべてを使用する必要はありません," Alphys muttered grumpily.

"それとも別のものを使用しなければならないこと," Mettaton shot back.

"Fine," Alphys conceded. "I dreamed that- that Undyne fell."

"Oh, darling, that's awful!" Mettaton exclaimed, all traces of smugness disappearing. "Are you okay?"

"I-it was-" Alphys choked back a small sob- "h-horrible. I f-f-felt like the w-world was ending; like lif-fe had lost its m-meaning-"

"There, there," Mettaton whispered, hugging her softly. "You're alive, Undyne's alive, and everything's going to be fine. Undyne's coming to rescue you, remember?"

~ ~ ~

**"NGAHHH!!"**

Undyne howled with frustration as she hefted a broken log and heaved it at a pile of junk, toppling it with a satisfying _smash_. Papyrus cowered nearby, his face a picture of abject terror.

**"USELESS DOGS!"** the Captain roared.  **"CAN'T EVEN-"** she stooped to pick up the other half of the log-  **"BUILD A STUPID-"** this one went into the falls-  **"RAFT!"** With N electronic twang, Undyne conjured another spear, hurling it down the waterfall. _Maybe this one will hit the bottom,_ she thought.

"U-UNDYNE?" Papyrus interrupted worriedly. "M-MAYBE YOU COULD VENT A LITTLE MORE- LESS DESTRUCTIVELY?"

Undyne seemed to relax a bit, but an intensity that could melt rock remained in her eye. "You're right," she growled. "This garbage can't fight back. I need a **real** sparring partner."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pardon my Google Translated Japanese. :P
> 
> Is this developing Alphyne serious enough to warrant a tag yet? I'm not entirely sure.


	13. En Guarde

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd almost call this a bonus chapter, but it has just enough vital plot to give it an "official" designation (not that it makes a difference, really).

"Undyne, I have to ask you again," Asgore said worriedly. "Are you sure you're all right? You've come to spar every day this week." Setting down his watering can, he led Undyne into the next room.

"I'm fine," Undyne replied automatically. "Well, mostly," she appended at Asgore'e stern look. "It's just-"

"Doctor Alphys?" Asgore interrupted, pulling his trident from beneath his cloak and casting the latter aside.

"Yeah," Undyne admitted, conjuring a spear and assuming a fighting stance. "I'm just so mad at myself for not being able-" Mid-sentence, she charged; Asgore, expecting it, parried easily. "To organize the rescue mission better," she finished, skidding to a halt and sidestepping Asgore's downward scythe sweep.

"It's not your fault," Asgore comforted her, slicing the volley of spears in half and returning a hail of fireballs. "Organizing a project of that magnitude would be a Herculean task for anyone, even with he entire Royal Guard at their disposal."

"You've said all this before," Undyne pointed out. Nimbly, she vaulted over a trident thrust, shifting away from Aagore's parry to land behind him. "Is it my plan that's broken? Dammit, I knew I should have payed more attention to Alphys' structural engineering lecture."

"Your plan isn't broken," insisted Asgore gently as he batted away a hilt thrust aimed at his gut. "It just needs a little more finesse to carry out. Instead of the Guard, why not commission actual carpenters? You know you have the authority." A fireball almost served as a distraction to sweep Undyne's legs out, but she caught it just in time and backflipped to avoid both.

"I know, I know," she muttered absently. "What if I'm too late?" she worried aloud, shifting attack patterns with topics. "Nobody knows what's down there. What if Alphys is- gone, and it's someone else carrying my spear around?" Just the mention of her 'gift' reminded her of the energy drain it caused, and she almost stumbled right into Asgore's scythe blade. The king sighed as he transformed it and knocked her away.

"Well, at least we'll know," he pointed out. "Better to learn of her death and mourn it appropriately than to never find out."

"I guess," Undyne agreed, attempting nonchalance. Flicking her wrists, she conjured a spear in each hand. Charging, she crossed them in front of her and dove into an aelion roll. Asgore's trident came up to block the spearheads, and a secondary point nicked her leg with a tearing sound.

"These were my good exercise shorts!" growled Undyne. With a shout, she she launched herself at Asgore, feinting at the last second as he lunged to meet her. Spinning around, she kicked him squarely in the back. With a clatter and a thud, Asgore hit the ground, trident sliding to a halt several feet away.

Letting her spear dissipate, Undyne examined the damage to her shorts. The right leg was gashed almost to the waistband; she'd probably have to ask the smiling tailor for a new pair. "C'est la vie," she sighed, handing Asgore his trident and cloak as they walked back to the throne room.

They didn't expect a dragon in a crisp red uniform to be standing there, head bowed respectfully. "The wireless telegraph came on, sir," he intoned urgently. Handing Asgore a sheet of yellow paper, he hurried away.

Asgore frowned. "That system was created by W.D. Gaster, a former Royal Scientist," he explained. "It hasn't been used in years." Unfolding the paper, he allowed Undyne to read over his shoulder.

ALPHYS ALIVE STOP BLOOK AND MTT DOWN STOP DEVICE LIW POWER DO NOT USE STOP W D

"Oh, my," breathed Asgore, putting a hand to his mouth.

"What does it mean?" Undyne almost shouted. "Alphys is okay, right!?"

"Not just Alphys," Asgore nodded. "It appears we've found two Royal Scientists for the price of one."


	14. Work

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Guess who finally worked up the motivation to continue working on this? :D With a little effort, I should be able to get this updating semi-regularly again (at the very least, every two weeks).
> 
> This chapter is rather short, but at least it exists, right?

"It should be right over here," Gaster indicated. The group of monsters and humans followed the scientist's indications to the clearing where Fallen landed, a steaming crater gouged several feet into the snow. Gaster strode to the red shaft protruding from the crater and, with a few tugs, pulled the trident from the snow. Unrolling the paper attached to it, he read aloud:

"Doctor Gaster, I received your message, and wish to provide you with information on the upcoming rescue mission. Captain Undyne is heading the force, and while the rescue craft was originally intended for Doctor Alphys alone, the plan can be expanded to accommodate you and the ghosts. With luck, the team will have arrived before the month is out. I wish you best of luck in whatever endeavors you choose to pursue down there. Sincerely, King Asgore Dreemur."

The entire crowd was silent. Gaster blinked, frowned, and examined the sheet again. "Well," he finally stated. "This is happening."

One by one, the group looked up towards the hole, some with expressions of confusion or fear. "Are they really going to take you away?" one younger monster asked.

With that, the crowd erupted with questions. "Will they find out about us?" "Will Underground monsters try to move here?" "Will they try to move us there?" "Who's Asgore?"

"Quiet, quiet!" Gaster snapped. "I have to think about this. You should all go back to your homes." One by one, the monsters and humans drifted off along the trail, casting glances back up at the cavern ceiling.

"Is King Asgore really sending Captain Undyne to retrieve us?" Mettaton asked incredulously.

"Well, it certainly seems that way," nodded Gaster absently.

"Oh, but we just got here!" Mettaton sighed, exasperated. Alphys and Gaster froze.

"Wh- what?" Alphys frowned. "Don't you want to get back up?"

"Well, yes, but this place is so interesting!" Mettaton explained as is it were the most obvious thing under the world. "I just want to see more of it before we go back. Not for long, obviously, but enough to get a sense for what the place is like."

"Well, why didn't you just ask?" Gaster exclaimed. "I can give you a tour. Well, I can find someone less busy to-"

"That's not quite what I meant," Mettaton sighed. "But okay. If we really have to go soon, I'll settle."

"Great," Gaster nodded absently, already striding away. "Follow me; I know a few people who can help you out."

Alphys was left alone in the clearing. After staring at the ceiling for a few minutes, she finally decided to head back to the lab and see what Gaster had planned for the day.

Upon arriving, however, she saw something she did not at all expect. Gaster was using his nine hands to pack his personal belongings and pet projects into cardboard boxes and carrying them to the door, where several trolleys waited to be wheeled away. "G-gaster?" Alphys frowned. "What are you doing?"

"Ah, Alphys," Gaster nodded, turning to face her without stopping his cleanup. "The Council has called me to help them with- an experiment, and I was asked to tell you that you have been 'promoted' to fill my old position. It's not hard, really- just build anything the Council tells you to, and use the rest of your monthly material supply to do whatever you like." Sealing the last of the boxes, he maneuvered it onto a trolley and began pushing it out the door. "If you have any more questions, just drop by the Council Building. I hope you enjoy your new position, but I'm afraid I must leave now." Turning back, he grinned. "Try not to immolate the Hall of the Fallen now, will you?" With that, he swept out the door, leaving a stunned Alphys staring at a mostly empty lab.

"Well, I guess I should start building- something," she sighed. Checking the computer, she clicked open a message from the Council of Elders addressed to "the new scientist".

"Greetings," it read. "As scientist here, your job is simple. You must build whatever the Council instructs you to, and may use the rest of your time and materials for whatever you wish. You will receive an assignments at the beginning of the week and will be given an amount of time deemed reasonable to complete them. If you have any questions, please contact the Board of Technological Progress at the Council Building. Thank you, and may the soul of the world shine upon all of us."

"Well," murmured Alphys, "that wasn't very helpful." Turning to survey her workspace, she spotted a pile of wires and variously shaped sheets of metal stacked neatly on a table. "What should I do while I wait?" she wondered aloud, walking slowly around the table to see if the configuration of the stacked items gave her an idea. Frowning, she paced a full circle around the table and was almost through another one when she stopped, tilted her head, and smiled.

"Gaster, you sly little..." she chuckled, lifting the sheet of metal off the large blueprint. Examining it, her smile widened. He knew her far too well.


End file.
